It snowed last weekend here in KY, so my friend and I went to an open parking lot to drift his '06 Sonata. Yes I know it is a fwd and it isn't the best for drifting, but we had nothing better to do lol. Long story short, I think one wheel caught enough traction while the other was spinning and it put too much stress on one side resulting in a broken axle. The dealership towed it, but when they saw the tire tracks in the snow, they told my friend it would not be under warranty.
I was actually surprised that it wasn't under warranty, I thought if you own the car, you can do whatever you want to it. It didn't hit anything so it wasn't a wreck, and if he lost control on a road and the axle snapped, wouldn't that be under warranty?

Only warranty that the car is covered under is the one out of his own pockets. Abuse is not covered under ANYBODY's warranty service as it was you who caused the undue stress which caused the part to fail. Why in the world would you/he expect someone else to pay for damage which was caused by him acting immature/irresponsible? To an extent, you are right, you CAN do whatever you want to, to the car; but you also assume all of the liability which comes along with doing so. If you gonna play the boss, be prepared top pay the costs.

war·ran·ty (wôrn-t, wr-)
n. pl. war·ran·ties
1. Official authorization, sanction, or warrant.
2. Justification or valid grounds for an act or a course of action.
3. Law
a. An assurance by the seller of property that the goods or property are as represented or will be as promised.
b. The insured's guarantee that the facts are as stated in reference to an insurance risk or that specified conditions will be fulfilled to keep the contract effective.
c. A covenant by which the seller of land binds himself or herself and his or her heirs to defend the security of the estate conveyed.
d. A judicial writ; a warrant.
4. A guarantee given to the purchaser by a company stating that a product is reliable and free from known defects and that the seller will, without charge, repair or replace defective parts within a given time limit and under certain conditions.

what blows my mind is that the tow truck driver was even interested in tracks or telling the dealer about it

Perhaps this is why?? \/ \/

Quote:

Originally Posted by dunbar43

The dealership towed it

I agree with the consensus - you make the mess, you clean it up. In all fairness, the dealership owes that driver. Good employees like that who are observant and look out for the company they work for and do the right thing are hard to come by.

Bummer for your boy, but if that's the most expensive lesson he learns when it comes to cars, he's still far ahead of a lot of people.

Thats like a person running into a wall under warranty. What do you think the dealership would say/do if he pops up to get it repaired?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jetfire

if you buy a ps3 and smash it with a sledgehammer, you think you can get an exchange?

is this guy serious or is he trolling?

Quote:

Originally Posted by dunbar43

It didn't hit anything so it wasn't a wreck, and if he lost control on a road and the axle snapped, wouldn't that be under warranty?

Actually hitting a PS3 with a sledgehammer is exactly the point I was trying to make...he didn't hit anything, that was why I was wondering about the fine print of warranties.
And thank you for the responses, it is now clear that only "normal use" is covered...but there would still be no way prove that the tire marks weren't from my car while he sat and watched...

It doesn't have to hit anything at all. Abuse is abuse no matter if you ran the car into a wall or do continuous burnout. Axles are generally strong as they are from the factory. It takes a lot of force to break them, and if you're doing normal driving, chances are, you're probably not going to break them.

I've told you guys before, a number of times......deliberate drifting, in most cases (not necessarily all) is abuse.

There are special winter-driving schools, where students practice snow/ice skids, and how to properly get out out of them, but those are licensed facilities, where the cars involved have special warranty, liability, and insurance coverage. However, many people do practice skids, in their personal cars in empty, snow-covered parking lots....and you can often get away with it, if the entire surface underneath the lot is slick enough to allow low-traction slides. But, hit a spot, accidentally, while sliding, that is NOT frozen, and, of course, you risk vehicle damage.